Longitudinal Quality of Life + Symptom Assessment Data [ Time Frame: Survey(s) & Interveiw(s) at baseline (beginning of chemoradiation treatment), 3 weeks after treatment starts, the last day of treatment, and at the first follow-up appointment after chemoradiation treatment ends. ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

Quality of life survey instruments scored according to EORTC QLQ-C30 scoring manual. Patients and controls compared with respect to preference data. The control group preference data collected at only 1 time point, but patient preference data from each time point will be compared to these control group preference data.

Interview regarding perceptions of side effects that are related to chemoradiation treatment.

Other: Questionnaire

3 Questionnaires regarding quality of life given during and after treatment, each taking about 20 minutes to complete.

Other Name: Survey

Caregiver Controls

Healthy controls with no prior cancer diagnosis.

Behavioral: Interview

Interview regarding perceptions of side effects that are related to chemoradiation treatment.

Detailed Description:

You will be interviewed about your perceptions of side effects that are related to your chemoradiation treatment. The interview will take about 20 minutes. You will be interviewed at the beginning of your chemoradiation treatment, 3 weeks after treatment starts, and at the first follow-up appointment after chemoradiation treatment ends.

Chemoradiation is a type of cancer treatment that involves both chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

You will also receive a packet of 3 questionnaires to complete at different times during and after treatment. The questionnaires include a quality of life survey that asks about physical, social, and emotional well-being, a self-report symptom evaluation that will ask whether you are experiencing any particular side effects and if so how much it bothers you, and a brief survey to asks questions about anxiety and distress.

The questionnaires should take about 20 minutes each to complete. The questionnaire packet will be given to patients at the beginning of chemoradiation treatment, 3 weeks after treatment starts, the last day of treatment, and at the first follow-up appointment after chemoradiation treatment ends. If the you do not have time to complete the questionnaires, a stamped, addressed envelop will be given so that you can mail the completed packet back to the research team.

Your participation in this research study will be over about 4-6 weeks after chemoradiation treatment ends.

This is an investigational study. Up to 208 individuals (104 patients and 104 caregivers) will take part in this study. All will be enrolled at M. D. Anderson.

Patients who do not have a diagnosis of cervix, endometrial, vulvar or anal cancer

Patients who are not scheduled to receive chemoradiation treatment

Patients who are not at least 18 years of age

Controls - individuals who have a prior diagnosis of cancer (with the exception of non-melanoma skin cancer)

Controls - individuals who are not at least 18 years of age

Contacts and Locations

Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study.
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below.
For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.

Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00394602